‘Government plans to stay connected to Guyanese despite Political loyalties’ - says Minister Charles Ramson

‘Government plans to stay connected to Guyanese despite Political loyalties’ – says Minister Charles Ramson

Oct 19, 2020 Sports

Minister Ramson engaging the youths of Agricola.

By Sean Devers

Kaieteur News – ‘Government plans to stay connected to Guyanese despite Political loyalties’ these were the words of the Honourable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. before making a presentation of sports gear to the East Bank Demerara Community of Agricola last Saturday morning.
Considered as one of the deprived areas in Guyana and high in crime, Agricola is last Village in Georgetown heading south from the City and was one of Villages bought by the freed slaves after slavery was abolished on August 1, 1834. Almost its entire population support the opposition APNU.
Ramson, one of the most active Ministers in this Government, presented basketballs, footballs, footwear and other sports gear at the Evan Phillips Park ball field. The gear was received by executive member of the Agricola Sports Committee. Colin John.
Ramson has already embarked on a number of plans proposed by this Administration for the development of local sports and was accompanied by several officials from his Ministry, representatives from the Guyana Football Federation and Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation, Football promoters Kashif & Shanghai, Officers of the Guyana Police Force including Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken and CDC Representatives.
”An important point of this is that coming into Government, what we have said is that we would be a Government for all people regardless of whether the area had supported the PPP or not” Ramson informed.
”The kids who are the beneficiaries of the sports gear would not be interested in politics. The long term benefits would be improving skills, being healthy and possibly becoming career sportsmen and sportswomen” the Minister explained to the Media and listened to the concerns of the Villagers.
Ramson played a leading role in ensuring that the Guyana Cricket Administrative Act was restored to its original state paving the way for the GCB and DCB Elections, visited the construction sites of the Stadiums in East Berbice and Linden in addition to touring the GFF facility at Providence.
The Minister, who played as a left-arm spinner at Division One level for Everest, made the West Indies Lawyers team and played a bit of Basketball, pledged his support to work with the residents of Agricola.
Minister Ramson promised to erect two Bleachers to overlook the Football ground and to aid in the rehabilitation of the water service to the ground. In an invited comment Darren T Lord, Secretary of the Agricola Sports Committee, posited that he is ‘taken back’ by Guyana’s politics.
”I wonder if at times we are just being used for political mileage by both sides of the divide.

Minister Ramson holds up one of the football with Colin John in the presence of happy villagers.

So I ponder what is real nucleus of the Honourable Minister’s visit to my community. Is he and his administration really ready to deliver on their promise to work with us? As he paced with his high level team, did he realise how narrow our Streets are, did he realise that there is only one way in and one way out of Agricola?
I am passionate about Sports hence my availability to serve but I am fully aware that as a citizen we have to work with the Government of the day. The numbers that availed themselves today (Saturday) is an indication of Agricola’s readiness to work for the development of the community and Country.
My only hope is for all of us to play our roles in making Guyana a better, unified nation for all Guyanese” Lord concluded. Ramson said Government decided to contribute sports gear to Agricola after he was informed by Community leaders that the previous Government failed to respond in a favourable manner when asked for some sports gear for a Village that produced one of Guyana’s better Boxing Coaches, Donald Allison who worked with the youths at the Ricola Boxing Gym and pacer Chris Lewis, who played 32 Tests and 53 ODIs for England.
During his visit Ramson also visited the Anglican Church which is being refurbished and was told of the lack of adequate funding for the work in progress in addition to the poor drainage around God’s House. Former Boxing and World Title contender Clive Atwell is one of the Pastors there spearheading the fund raising activities. Atwell, who was informed of the event late, was unavoidably absent.
The youngest ever Sports Minister in Guyana then walked to visit the Basketball Court to Northern side of the Village before rejoining his convoy as the visit concluded.